Sing a Song of Souffles
by ChloeNicolee1912
Summary: In which River shows up unexpectedly, and could possibly have just ended the Whouffle relationship before it even had a chance to begin. Possible typos, i wrote this on my phone and you know what autocorrect is like.
1. Chapter 1

Sing a Song of Souffles.

"Brilliant! You were BRILLIANT!" The Doctor beamed, pulling Clara into a tight hug and kissing her hair. Clara grinned back, and pushed him off her gently. "You weren't too bad yourself!" she replied, ruffling his hair, causing the Time Lord to pout like a petulant child and catch her hands in his own. "Enough of that!" he scolded before letting go of her to pat his jacket pockets, looking for his TARDIS key. "Where is it?" he muttered, checking every possible place it could be hidden (which was an awful lot, considering it was a "smart jacket." Usually they have no pockets but because it is the Doctor, naturally it had hundreds of hidden hidey holes for small objects.) Clara just giggled and held up the small silver object, causing an annoyed sigh to escape the Doctors lips. "I will never understand HOW you manage to do that!" he groaned as she opened the door and practically skipped inside. He just rolled his eyes and followed, soon smiling again because he just could not stay mad at his Clara.

"So, where too now miss?" he said with an elaborate bow in Claras direction. "Your wish is my command!" She smiled wider, leaning on the console, thinking for a moment. "I don't know Sir! If only i had a guide to all of time and space to recommend something amazing for me to see!" she gave a dramatic sigh, and turned round to look at him, smirking a little. He just returned her gaze, stepping a little closer, taking both her her hands in his. "Well, if you did, I'm sure he'd say"-

"Oooh, i'd suggest the meadows of Gozelot in the 17th millennia, that's rather nice." came a voice from the hall. Both turned to look, Clara ridiculously confused, and the Doctor rolling his eyes, and sighing. A figure walked out of the shadows of the corridor, and leant casually on the railings. "Or maybe shes more of history geek, in which case the Fourth of July in 1958 was a night to remember, wouldn't you agree sweetie?" Red lipsticked lips curled up in a self satisfied smile as the Doctor sighed. "Hello River."

Professor Song sauntered down the stairs and over to the pair, wearing a glamorous evening gown (where did she even get that many gowns from?! And why would she need them shes an archaeologist for gods sake!) wild hair as untameable as ever, and high heels clicking on the metal floor of the TARDIS. "Well aren't you going to introduce us?" She asked, smiling a little too sweetly at Clara, who looked at her, confused. "Doctor who is-"

"Professor River Song." The older woman said, holding out her hand for Clara to shake. She did so, and River noted, slightly self satisfactorily, that in doing so, the young brunette had been forced to release her husbands hands. "Clara Oswald." She replied, "I'm sorry what are y-"

"I'm the Doctors wife." River interrupted again, before releasing Claras hand and turning to her husband, glad to see that he looked like he was internally kicking himself, and that his pretty little companion looked as though she'd just had the London Eye dropped on her head. "Did he forget to mention?" She gasped, obviously knowing that he wouldn't mention it. Why would he?! It wasn't as if the had a conventional marriage. But they were husband and wife nonetheless. Clara blinked a couple of times and let this information sink in. She looked to the Doctor for confirmation, and a single glance in his eyes told her everything she needed to know. "Right then," she said quietly, still a little shocked, "I'll um... give you guys some space... looks like you need a little time to um... yeah." And with that she brushed past the Doctor and disappeared down the hallway. The Doctor covered his face with his hands, took a dooe breath and looked River dead in the eye. "How did you even get in here?" he asked, voice a little clipped with irritation.

"Good to see you too darling!" She simpered, walking around the console, hand trailing over the various instruments that drove the ship.

"A little forewarning next time would be nice." He huffed crossing his arms over his chest. Clara was probably angry at him now. Brilliant. And he now has a lot of explaining to do.

River guessed his line of thought and merely smirked, coming to stand in front of him, looking up at her husband. "But where is the fun in that?" she teased, "And anyway, when one's husband is off with a pretty young thing seeing wonders of the universe, one has to take it upon themselves to do something spontaneous or i may just lose my husband to a teenager."

"Clara is not a teenager she's a perfectly mature adult! River, why have you come here? You never just 'Drop by' so what kind of trouble are you in now?" he asked, arms still crossed defiantly. Once he might have fallen for her fluttering eyelashes and playful smirks but she had just been rude to his companion, and seemed to have shown up out of the blue, with no other purpose than to get him in trouble. He'd been having such a good day as well (he and Clara had stopped a passenger liner from crash landing into the ocean and causing a tidal wave that would have sunk most of Japan in the year 4520 and had been thanked with unlimited turns on the ships waterslide and free sushi) and he didn't want it ruined. But now Clara was upset, River was overly confident (and now clingy it would seem) and the Doctor.. well he was annoyed now.

River just ignored his inner turmoil and held his steely gaze, with a look that would make any human man cower in his boots. "I know I told you not to travel alone but this is ridiculous Doctor." she hissed. "Imagine how it feels to be excavating the Temple of the Old Gods in Ahkaten, studying their murals, just to find out that they were based on stories of a "courageous Doctor, and his beautiful companion Clara". Well, even if I managed to brush that off, I still did a little digging around and it turns out you apparently spent years in isolation thinking about her? Painted pictures of her? Raced to her side from 1207 without even a moments hesitation even when she didn't ask? How long did I wait for you, where are my paintings. I'm sorry if you think I'm being a bit petty but I don't even remember a gentle kiss after I witnessed my own parents death. I needed you, i really did, and then i find out you're off pining after some pretty little brunette, and showing her the wonders of the universe."

River had become more and more agitated as she continued, and the Doctor was getting more and more annoyed. Eventually he just cut in, saying "River, excuse me if I'm wrong but I believe you were the one who rejected the offer to travel with me. Were you hoping i'd pick up another married couple? Hoping it'd be a little gang all over again? Well I'm sorry to disappoint you River but it had to be Clara. No-one else." He took hold of Rivers arms, in a firm grip. He had to explain. She wouldn't like it one bit, but she had a right to know. "When i married you, it was an act of desperation in a parallel world, in an attempt to save the universe. I'm sorry, but I am not in love with you. I love you, yes, but in the same way I loved Amy and Rory. You're their daughter, you're like family to me. If there'd been any other way i'd probably not have married you, im sorry but it's true."

He took a deep breath, letting her take in what he said, and loosened his grip. "But Clara," he continued, "Something about her.. the way she just was so comfortable talking to me about that snowman, called me silly, chased me, tested me, made me smile after so so long... I lost her River, and it killed me. It really did. In so little time she became so much and i let her die. But the universe gave her back to me. They gave me back my impossible girl. And River she'd the reason I'm here today. If i hadn't have found her i'd me moping on a cloud in Victorian London. Is that the life you wanted for me?" His eyes pleaded her to understand. River was his friend, a good friend, a sister and he needed her, but she needed to accept Clara too. The TARDIS was already rejecting her and if River rejected her too then he didn't know what to do. He felt as though he was being torn between his past and future, being forced to choose between his friends and Clara and it was tearing him apart.

River saw this despair in his eyes, and sighed. Shrugging his hands off of her, she strode away, and down the hallway, leaving him a little bemused, but he dared not follow, as he had a feeling he knew where she was headed next.

Meanwhile, Clara had found herself in the library on her favourite chair, trying to ignore the fact that the Doctor was up there with his wife doing god knows what. She was heartbroken, and utterly humiliated. Over the course of their time together, she had allowed him to enter her heart the way no other man ever had, and she utterly adored him. His childish quirks, his vibrancy and joy in everything, but also his darker, brooding side that was covering the years and years of sadness and grief. She had even begun to think that maybe he had started to return her feelings, but now she knew it could never be. He was married. Married. And he'd kept it from her. Bloody fantastic.

She heard the sound of footsteps nearby and sighed. "Leave me alone, in reading." she called out. "That's funny." River quipped, turning into view, "because usually when a person is reading, they have a book open. And by the looks of things, you don't."

Clara looked up, and met the eyes of the woman she wanted to be. What she wouldn't give to be the one the Doctor wanted to spend his life with. But alas, it seemed that this River woman had taken that spot long before Clara had showed up. She sighed and stood up, composing herself. "Hello." She said quietly, not really knowing what to say.

"Clara, isn't it?" River asked, and the younger girl nodded. "Well, Clara, I'm leaving for a bit. I just wanted to say thank you. You've looked after him wonderfully, and I'm sorry for being so rude earlier. It was totally uncalled for and I hope you will forgive me."

Clara merely nodded, realising what these words were. They were her dismissal. She wasn't needed anymore, the Doctor had his love back. She wouldn't let any tears fall. She wouldn't cry. Instead she smiled. The Doctor was going to be happy, he had his wife back, and trusting by her display earlier, she was fiercely protective of him, so chances are he'd be relatively safe at least. So though she could feel her heart breaking, she grinned. "Thank you." She said, holding her hand out for River to shake.

River, having not heard any of Claras internal monologue, was a tad confused. She had heard that this was a feisty, quirky young girl, who no-one could quite work out but right now she was being downright confusing. She shook her hand, eyeing her a little warily. "You're welcome, I guess."

Clara was pleased. She'd made peace with River, and could leave with no hard feelings. She didn't want to cause her Chin boy pain.

She turned to leave but just had one more thought that she felt she could share with River. "Um, I don't suppose that you could convince your husband to dress his age could you? Never really understood why he feels the need to dress like an eighty year old man..." she laughed, and River could only roll her eyes. "I know!Isn't it irritating? Try to go somewhere nice, and he's wearing tweed! Maturity of a twelve year old, and the clothes of a pensioner. What shall we do with him?" Clara gigged, "How about we hold his bow tie hostage until he wears something decent?" she suggested, and River just laughed. Maybe this was why the Doctor liked this girl. She could bring out anyones playful side.

Clara laughed with her, before taking deep breath, her former sadness threatening as she remembered what she had to do now. "Right. i'd better be off! Goodbye!" she waved as she turned to leave, and River just smiled after her. Maybe the Doctor was right. Maybe the Universe had given him a companion to keep. Maybe, just maybe, she would be the one to save him.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

The Doctor waved goodbye to his wife, who had decided that she'd forgive him if he dropped her off in the legendary shopping halls of Minasent 9 with unlimited credits (which luckily for him, the TARDIS supplied) He had no idea when he would see her again, and it would most likely be some time and place totally out of the blue but it was River so he knew there was no point even trying to ask for some advance warning. As soon as the mass of blonde curls had been lost in the crowds of the shopping hall, the Doctor closed the door and directed the TARDIS back into the time vortex, to let her have a little rest. When they were totally stable, he skipped off down the hall to Claras room, now eager to find out what River had spoken to her about. He wasn't that worried, River had seemed pretty happy when she'd eventually re-emerged, so the sight that greeted him in Ckaras room was enough to make him blink a few times in shock and wonder if he'd missed something. Clara was hastily throwing every item of clothing she'd brought with her into a large duffle bag, tears streaming down her face. "Clara what on earth are you doing?!" He cried, making her jump. She'd been so lost in her thoughts that she'd not noticed the timelord enter, and was now kicking herself a little bit. She had been hoping she'd have time to fix her tearstained face before facing him, but apparently not. So she simply took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and tried to look him in the eyes, voice wobbling only the slightest bit. "I'd like to be dropped off home please, as soon as possible."

The doctors eyebrows creased. "Homesick? no, you can't be... homesick people don't take a massive bag-" His eyes widened. She was leaving him. For good. But-

"Why?" he asked quietly, his face turning into that of a kicked puppy (which just made Clara feel worse really. As if it wasn't hard enough, he chose this moment to become the most adorable thing in the whole of time and space, and break her heart a little more.)

" Well, I'm not going to stick around and be a third wheel! You got your wife back, so what do you need me for?" She tried to shrug nonchalantly, but a faint sniffle was enough to betray her, and the held back tears started to fall again. "I mean, I was only a replacement for her right?" She looked up at him teary eyed, "Your wife is back by your side and it's time for little Clara to go back home and be normal again."

The Doctor shook his head, not quite believing his ears. "Clara you couldn't have it more wrong if you tried! You can't go it's... it's complicated but i swear you're not her replacement!" He reached for her arm, desperately trying to make her understand. "Things happened, and we barely see each other now... we weren't even really married in the first pace! Things gof wibbly wobbly and it was an emergency and that dimension doesn't even exist now and reverse time lines and-" He looked at her, realising he'd totally lost her. She was looking at him, totally confused, so he simply sighed. Reaching up to cup her cheek, gently wiping away and stray tear with his thumb, looking her dead in the eye. "How many times do I have to say it? Theres no one else Clara. Just you." His pleading gaze kept hold of her watery one, desperately trying to find the words that could make her stay here, with him.

He'd not be able to lose her again. He knew this for a fact. He didn't care anymore how many Claras were out there, this was his Clara. His feisty, sassy, cheeky, caring, beautiful, Clara. And he would rip time and space apart to keep her by his side. His hearts beat for her now, and if she left he'd never recover.

"Please don't leave..." he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers. "River isn't coming back. Not that I know of... but even if she was that doesn't change the fact that I need you Clara."

She wanted to believe him. Wanted to just sink into his embrace and let his carry her away and forget this whole business happened. But she just couldn't. She was in love with him, and he was married. What else could she possibly do but leave, before things got really messy. So she turned her head away from him, and stepped back. "I'm sorry..." she whispered.

He couldn't believe this. He refused to believe it. He could actually feel his hearts breaking as she turned to pick up her bag. If he was going to act, it had to be now, or she'd walk out of his life forever. All those years searching, yearning, needing her, all wasted.

So he acted. He grabbed her hand, and as she turned to see what he wanted, swooped down and claimed her mouth his his. The kiss was desperate, pleading, and he wrapped his spare arm around her waist, pulling her closer, trying to get her to understand that he needed her, right here, in his arms.

Clara knew it was wrong, that this couldn't be happening. He was married, immortal, alien... and yet her bag dropped to the florr and she found herself returning his kiss with everything she had, arms wrapping up round his neck, one hand tangled in his overly long hair. It was wrong, and yet it was so so right. She fitted perfectly with him, and moved in harmony with him. She could feel his loneliness and desperation, and he could feel her hurt and longing. It was, by far, the most perfect, imperfect first kiss.

When they broke apart, cheeky flushed and chests heaving, there were no more tears. She simply met his eyes and smiled, and that was all the reassurance he needed. Folding her in his arms, he buried his face in her glossy brown locks. "Don't you even leave me Clara Oswald." He muttered into her neck, and she just laughed. "well, i might try, if that's how you persuade me to stay!" she joked, starting to feel like her old self again. The Doctor grinned, taking comfort in her joking, glad that normality was beginning to be restored, despite the almost heartbreak and subsequent moment of passion. He couldn't help but smile as she tugged at his hand, urging him out of the room. He followed for a while, grinning like an idiot, infinitely amused by her trying to find her way around the TARDIS, back to the console room (which was tricky, considering she'd been given a room furthest away. Nasty old Sexy playing tricks again...)

Clara eventually had to stop, and look around, trying to gauge just where they were. The Doctor gazed at her, awestruck by the way she bit her lip gently as she thought, and that little crease where her nose scrunched up a little in concentration. He decided there and then that the shamble of a wedding was null and void, on the grounds that technically, it had never happened, which meant he was a free man. Well...

Clara went to take a step but the Doctor tugged her back. She looked at him confused, just to to find him gazing intently at her. "Just... just stay there Clara..." he grinned, stepping closer, "because I'm afraid I'm going to have to kiss you again.. okay?"

She let out a light laugh, about to make a witty response about the TARDIS truly being a snog box now, but it died on her tongue as her lips were captured once more by the Time Lords. There'd be time for witty responses later, she decided, melting into his embrace once more, pulling herself closer. After all, they had all the time in the world...


End file.
